This semester I have definitely experienced, experimented and expanded my literary horizons. From last semester of Stephanie explaining what her vision was of this class, to actually experiencing and becoming a guinea pig , all in the name of higher education! What we get out of the study of literature goes beyond the "technical terms" that are in the book, it flows into the power of the written word. Spoken words are often mis-understood and easily forgotten. Whereas there is so much power in what we write. Think about all of the recorded history about us, our lives are recorded in birthday cards, report cards, notes our teachers, friends, family have written to us and about us. Then expand that into the recorded history of the world. Even heiroglyphics are like written history because they are tangible records. You have to be a voyeur and an adventurer to read literature.
R. S. Gwynn says that, "Our experience of the world is limited by time and place, and even the most resolute traveler can only superficially come to know the complex blends of cultures that make up our world". I get that completely, and that is why I love to read. Reading takes me to places I will never have the opportunity to experience first hand, and allows me to do things that sometimes I only dream of doing. The first thing we studied this semester was fiction. We were assigned 1000 pages of whatever we wanted to read. Because I am a voracious reader, I passed my 1000 and just kept on going. I would assume that the purpose of the study of fiction and the 1000 page assignment were really closely related. We study fiction to experience different places and people, and expand our minds, maybe get a different perspective on life and experiment with different points of view. My choice of books were not anything I would normally have read. My usual criteria for a book is that someone has to die violently in the first 50 pages, preferably within the first 10 for me to be interested. I guess what I'm saying is that my taste in literature falls into the Noir category. The Secret Life of Bees was a great "feel good" book. I made some friends in Tiburon, South Carolina. Run, was different for me too. It too was a "feel good" book, but moved much slower than Bees did. I Run, I experienced Boston in the winter and cried right along with Kenya when her mother died. Speaking of crying (or sobbing), the book For My Daughters had to be dried out when I was finished with it. It is a wonderful story. I traveled to Maine and sat on the beach with Leah St Clair, closed my eyes and smelled the beach roses and Atlantic Ocean.
I can't forget the mini book clubs. In the short stories I was able to make the last meal of death row inmates, and zip up a catskin suit and flounce around with my tail in the air. The rage I felt in reading Party Down at the Square took a bit to wear off. But Betty was alright by me and left me shaking my head up and down with her advise.
Performing in the play was quite an experience that encompasses both experience and expand. I have not been on a stage of any kind since High School (we all know how long ago that was), and I was in the chorus in a musical. I am not the person who likes to be front and center in anything. I love to sing, and when I karaoke I would just as soon do it as part of the audience, instead of up by myself in front of everyone. Speaking of plays being able to attend the Shakespeare play was a great experience. Not only was the setting awesome, but getting out of the classroom was too.
I liked writing our short stories. The bubble technique helped me focus and narrow down my ideas. Of course I would have liked more time to write and re-write and edit what I wrote. However, I do understand that the shortened semester makes that an impossibility. I could have done without writing the poetry. Even when I wrote poetry it didn't rhyme. The poetry slam was a great experience and allowed me to expand outside of my comfort zone.
The lit salons were interesting. Being able to see different authors from the past and "tie-ing" it all together with what was happening in the world was great. I love to get the big picture of things. I was able to once again step outside my comfort zone and read about real people who have directly impacted my world and talk about them. Specifically if Anais and Henry had not written and published the things they did what we deem as acceptable literature versus pornography would be different. Henry went in front of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land to defend his beliefs. How utterly empowering that must have been. If he hadn't, some of what I normally read would never have been published. He pushed the boundaries. Of course the experience of reading and hearing about all of the authors expanded my views of them and gave me an understanding of their impact to our world.
To sum up my very long blog here, experience, experiment and expand are all related. Without expanding our views we would never be able to experiment and therefore experience anything new.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Cultural opportunity # 3
I could not afford a concert this year so while laying in bed thinking (what I really mean is stressing) over it, I remembered Eric. Eric and I have a long history together, which I won't bore you with the details. We have evolved from being friends to being engaged to being friends again. He is one of my favorite people.
When I met Eric 9 years ago, he told me that he had been in a band and even showed me a video (translate VHS, yes we are old school) that someone had made. The picture was grainy and the sound left a little bit to be desired. You'll have that with VHS though. His band's name was Water's Edge, and they only played original music. Unfortunately for them Central Illinois for the most part doesn't like original music on a Friday or Saturday night. They want the same stuff they hear on the radio so they can sing along and not stretch out of their personal comfort zones. They want to dance and know that Jessie's Girl will sound like what is on the original track.
Probably about 5 years ago, Eric came to me and told me he and his friend Mike (who has a recording studio) were going to finally lay down some tracks and compile a cd. Ever encouraging, I gave him the thumbs up and tried to think of another band name along with them. In the end they decided to stick with Water's Edge. Eric wrote all of the songs and lyrics, while Mike did the instrumental part. Each song for him has a history. Some are about old girlfriends (not me), and others are about life in general. I love that I get to revisit his music. Eric forwarded me his songs via email, and my daughter and I sat and listened to them. Her favorite is paradox (which we used to joke he was saying "pair of ducks") and mine is cuinoz. Neither one of those are on the list of his favorites. As they were recording the songs, he would bring me a cd showing what they had done and where they were going with it.
Cuinoz is about the "blown away" feeling we all have with new love. He uses a tornado as a metaphor for his relationship with some woman. I have no idea which woman this song is about, but I like it. In the beginning there is a guitar sound that mimics the sound of a tornado. Then like the movie Twister, there are sounds of wind chimes throughout the song and the end. About the middle they added the national weather service announcements. It is a clever arrangement. They released in on You Tube. If you cut and paste it the link is; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um1XjJPWYjE.
Paradox is defined as is an apparently true statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies intuition. Eric's song titled Paradox is about people who lead a "lucky" life. Alix (my daughter) still remembers the lyrics after years of not listening to it. It is a catchy tune and gets stuck in your head.
The song Light Another Candle is on Eric's list of favorite lyrics. It is about love that is lost. The lyrics aren't complicated. It makes nice poetry because it rhymes and flows easily. This song is obviously about a woman (once again not about me). Are you sensing a theme here?
I like the song fool because it's refreshing to hear a man admit they were a fool (read, idiot). If I close my eyes I can hear Poison or Guns N Roses singing it, Slash ripping riffs on the guitar.
Heaven Only Knows starts out like a Billy Joel song with a heavy piano sound. This is a reflection of the question that everyone asks in the beginning of a relationship. I like it because it has a rather blue-sy/gospel sound. None of his other songs has this feel.
Den of the Wicked is a heavy song, reminiscent of 80's music. It is a reflection of society and persecution. He talks about maintaining our innocence and that when everything else is done that is all that remains.
I promised Eric in return for my being able to pick apart his lyrics and sometimes poke fun at him that I would "plug" this cd. Once again, the band's name is Water's Edge. I'm sure sometime this decade you will be able to buy the cd at Co-op records.
When I met Eric 9 years ago, he told me that he had been in a band and even showed me a video (translate VHS, yes we are old school) that someone had made. The picture was grainy and the sound left a little bit to be desired. You'll have that with VHS though. His band's name was Water's Edge, and they only played original music. Unfortunately for them Central Illinois for the most part doesn't like original music on a Friday or Saturday night. They want the same stuff they hear on the radio so they can sing along and not stretch out of their personal comfort zones. They want to dance and know that Jessie's Girl will sound like what is on the original track.
Probably about 5 years ago, Eric came to me and told me he and his friend Mike (who has a recording studio) were going to finally lay down some tracks and compile a cd. Ever encouraging, I gave him the thumbs up and tried to think of another band name along with them. In the end they decided to stick with Water's Edge. Eric wrote all of the songs and lyrics, while Mike did the instrumental part. Each song for him has a history. Some are about old girlfriends (not me), and others are about life in general. I love that I get to revisit his music. Eric forwarded me his songs via email, and my daughter and I sat and listened to them. Her favorite is paradox (which we used to joke he was saying "pair of ducks") and mine is cuinoz. Neither one of those are on the list of his favorites. As they were recording the songs, he would bring me a cd showing what they had done and where they were going with it.
Cuinoz is about the "blown away" feeling we all have with new love. He uses a tornado as a metaphor for his relationship with some woman. I have no idea which woman this song is about, but I like it. In the beginning there is a guitar sound that mimics the sound of a tornado. Then like the movie Twister, there are sounds of wind chimes throughout the song and the end. About the middle they added the national weather service announcements. It is a clever arrangement. They released in on You Tube. If you cut and paste it the link is; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um1XjJPWYjE.
Paradox is defined as is an apparently true statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies intuition. Eric's song titled Paradox is about people who lead a "lucky" life. Alix (my daughter) still remembers the lyrics after years of not listening to it. It is a catchy tune and gets stuck in your head.
The song Light Another Candle is on Eric's list of favorite lyrics. It is about love that is lost. The lyrics aren't complicated. It makes nice poetry because it rhymes and flows easily. This song is obviously about a woman (once again not about me). Are you sensing a theme here?
I like the song fool because it's refreshing to hear a man admit they were a fool (read, idiot). If I close my eyes I can hear Poison or Guns N Roses singing it, Slash ripping riffs on the guitar.
Heaven Only Knows starts out like a Billy Joel song with a heavy piano sound. This is a reflection of the question that everyone asks in the beginning of a relationship. I like it because it has a rather blue-sy/gospel sound. None of his other songs has this feel.
Den of the Wicked is a heavy song, reminiscent of 80's music. It is a reflection of society and persecution. He talks about maintaining our innocence and that when everything else is done that is all that remains.
I promised Eric in return for my being able to pick apart his lyrics and sometimes poke fun at him that I would "plug" this cd. Once again, the band's name is Water's Edge. I'm sure sometime this decade you will be able to buy the cd at Co-op records.
Cultural Opportunity-Henry and June
I just finished the book Henry and June. I understand we were supposed to watch the movie, but I had started reading the book for my literary salon and thought maybe it would be better to finish it.
I find it difficult to know where to start. The book reads like journal, with entries for sporadic periods throughout the month. Anais often quotes herself and others, instead of paraphrasing. I wonder how she remembers so vividly what was said by another person. My psychoanalysis of her changed as I grew to know her better. At first I thought she was a narcissistic woman, just using any man she could manipulate. The more I read though, the more she changed for me. The narcissism I originally diagnosed was not true, it is really insecurity. She has a deep need for attention and to find her place in the world. She uses sex as a tool, but contradicts herself by saying that she cannot have sex without love. I believe she deceives herself into thinking that what she feels initially for June is love and that is why she desires her. Her true motivation for being near her is in fact jealously. Even though June is poor, she has the self confidence which Anais does not.
Her relationship with Henry is more complicated. At first she seduced him because of her jealously with June. She talks about her unfaithfulness and justifies it by saying that if she were not an artist she would be faithful to Hugo. I believe Henry does truly love and need her in a most unhealthy way. He not only craves her attention he needs her undying adoration to feed his ego so that he can write. He demoralizes her by dominating her sexually. He is not a man in the sense of 1931 or 1932. He does not financially support himself or his wife. He willingly allows others to house him, clothe him and feed him. In turn he justifies this by saying it is in account of him being an author. The triangle between Henry and June and Anais is a tragic one. Henry is submissive with June and tells Anais that she dominates and deceives him. Anais wants to believe that she is helping Henry to become a better husband by feeding his ego. She wants to make him stronger, a better man. Henry loves June because with her he does not need to play the dominant male role in their relationship. He can be like a child, dependent on her. Anais initially believes that Henry is this great man and author. It doesn't take a lot of self analysis for her to realize that she has become the mother figure to Henry's child-like personality.
Hugo, Anais's husband is a victim in this love triangle. He works as a banker to unknowingly support Henry and June. Anais gives Henry money that Hugo worked hard and sacrificed for. Anais continually deceives Hugo about her relationship to Henry and June. It is clear that she loves Hugo and feels bad about her actions, just not enough remorse to either stop them, or let Hugo go free.
Eduardo is described by Anais as a cousin, yet she becomes involved with him too. Her relationship with Eduardo is similar to Henry's in that she, Anais, needs to be desired and wanted. For a while she carries on a relationship with Eduardo, Henry and Hugo. Sometimes having sex with all of them in one day.
I didn't find the sexual exploits of any of these people as being strange. The difference between Anais and the main stream society is that most people don't publish their innermost thoughts and feelings. I certainly applaud her for having the courage to put herself out there (in a sense) and allow the general public not just into her bed, but into her brain as well. Henry, D. H. Laurence and Anais all have a huge following. They are well read not just by the lower-class societies, but by upper-class as well, which leads to more thought on why if so many people have be exposed to them, why are they not mainstream reads?
I find it difficult to know where to start. The book reads like journal, with entries for sporadic periods throughout the month. Anais often quotes herself and others, instead of paraphrasing. I wonder how she remembers so vividly what was said by another person. My psychoanalysis of her changed as I grew to know her better. At first I thought she was a narcissistic woman, just using any man she could manipulate. The more I read though, the more she changed for me. The narcissism I originally diagnosed was not true, it is really insecurity. She has a deep need for attention and to find her place in the world. She uses sex as a tool, but contradicts herself by saying that she cannot have sex without love. I believe she deceives herself into thinking that what she feels initially for June is love and that is why she desires her. Her true motivation for being near her is in fact jealously. Even though June is poor, she has the self confidence which Anais does not.
Her relationship with Henry is more complicated. At first she seduced him because of her jealously with June. She talks about her unfaithfulness and justifies it by saying that if she were not an artist she would be faithful to Hugo. I believe Henry does truly love and need her in a most unhealthy way. He not only craves her attention he needs her undying adoration to feed his ego so that he can write. He demoralizes her by dominating her sexually. He is not a man in the sense of 1931 or 1932. He does not financially support himself or his wife. He willingly allows others to house him, clothe him and feed him. In turn he justifies this by saying it is in account of him being an author. The triangle between Henry and June and Anais is a tragic one. Henry is submissive with June and tells Anais that she dominates and deceives him. Anais wants to believe that she is helping Henry to become a better husband by feeding his ego. She wants to make him stronger, a better man. Henry loves June because with her he does not need to play the dominant male role in their relationship. He can be like a child, dependent on her. Anais initially believes that Henry is this great man and author. It doesn't take a lot of self analysis for her to realize that she has become the mother figure to Henry's child-like personality.
Hugo, Anais's husband is a victim in this love triangle. He works as a banker to unknowingly support Henry and June. Anais gives Henry money that Hugo worked hard and sacrificed for. Anais continually deceives Hugo about her relationship to Henry and June. It is clear that she loves Hugo and feels bad about her actions, just not enough remorse to either stop them, or let Hugo go free.
Eduardo is described by Anais as a cousin, yet she becomes involved with him too. Her relationship with Eduardo is similar to Henry's in that she, Anais, needs to be desired and wanted. For a while she carries on a relationship with Eduardo, Henry and Hugo. Sometimes having sex with all of them in one day.
I didn't find the sexual exploits of any of these people as being strange. The difference between Anais and the main stream society is that most people don't publish their innermost thoughts and feelings. I certainly applaud her for having the courage to put herself out there (in a sense) and allow the general public not just into her bed, but into her brain as well. Henry, D. H. Laurence and Anais all have a huge following. They are well read not just by the lower-class societies, but by upper-class as well, which leads to more thought on why if so many people have be exposed to them, why are they not mainstream reads?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
7-23-09 Class Reading
I held my lit salon today. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Being the same type of procrastinator as many people, I waited until yesterday to put together my material. It took me much longer than I had anticipated. I would estimate that I sat at my kitchen table working on the flyer and power point for about 11 hours. This was my first experience using power point, so at first I wasn't sure what to do. It's not difficult, I quickly caught on. About half way through I decided that I wanted to add some background music to the slides, so I downloaded a cd of big band sound from Walmart.com. What a mistake that was. Three phone calls to them later, I had my music. When I tried to load a song to a slide it didn't work, so then I thought I would just burn the cd off onto disk and bring it in and play it in the background while I talked. That would have worked, except for some reason my burner didn't do it's job and lied to me about burning the songs. Oh well. I thought the presentation went off ok without it. In retrospect, I should have made note cards with highlights of what I wanted to say. Yesterday, I thought I would remember all of the important things about my authors. In reality, I remembered quite a bit more than I would normally give myself credit for. I'm obsessive in the way that I want to do my best. I am not afraid of failure as long as it isn't because I have slacked off on my duties.
Monday, July 20, 2009
7-23-09 Cultural Opportunity
Last night was great, seeing Shakespeare under the stars. I have wanted to go every year, but could never find anyone to go with me. I should have used the same technique Stephanie used to get her husband to join us. There were so many ages represented there, in addition to our class.
Before the play started I sat thinking about how many people have seen it performed since it was written in the 1590's, and the amount of times a director has taken "liberties" with it. For instance, last night with the Cajun accents. That to me is a big liberty, and even though I was told beforehand that they were doing it that way, I found it more difficult to understand the actors than if they would have had an British accent. Maybe if everyone would have had the same accent I could have become accustomed to the rhythm of it. The set in Bloomington reminded me of stories I had heard in High School about the famous "Theatre". I'm sure they didn't give out cushions for their seats in 1596. This is supposed to be one of Shakespeare's most popular works. I wonder if that is because it is a comedy. One would suppose that even in the 1500's that people needed a little comic relief in their week. The costumes, even though not elaborate were very creative and well done.
Before the play started I sat thinking about how many people have seen it performed since it was written in the 1590's, and the amount of times a director has taken "liberties" with it. For instance, last night with the Cajun accents. That to me is a big liberty, and even though I was told beforehand that they were doing it that way, I found it more difficult to understand the actors than if they would have had an British accent. Maybe if everyone would have had the same accent I could have become accustomed to the rhythm of it. The set in Bloomington reminded me of stories I had heard in High School about the famous "Theatre". I'm sure they didn't give out cushions for their seats in 1596. This is supposed to be one of Shakespeare's most popular works. I wonder if that is because it is a comedy. One would suppose that even in the 1500's that people needed a little comic relief in their week. The costumes, even though not elaborate were very creative and well done.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
July 16th Outside of Class
In today's paper on the second page is an article that caught my eye. The headline says "Student aid bill faces rough road." Of course being a recipient of student aid, I was compelled to read it.
Basically it says that the president, having planned to increase college aid is having a hard time selling it to congress. Big surprise there. Maybe he should have hidden his agenda in a bill marked "congressional raises." Ok, anyway, the article goes on to say that a key lawmaker proposed a bill that partly would boost the Pell Grant scholarship. The bill would do this by eliminating a large amount of subsidies for private college loans. The rest of the bill would go toward early childhood education, increasing the number of poor children with access to pre-kindergarden.
Having recently become unemployed I have spent many hours (this is what I do instead of sleeping) thinking about how I am going to continue my education and still support my family. Of course the Pell Grant is not going to subsidise my income by any means, but it would help lessen the blow a little bit and maybe allow me to work part time instead of full time. My means of living is very modest, so a little bit goes a long way for me.
The article did not say what the timeline was for sitting on congress' proverbial desk though. I'm sure like everything else that would benefit the working class it will sit for quite a while.
Basically it says that the president, having planned to increase college aid is having a hard time selling it to congress. Big surprise there. Maybe he should have hidden his agenda in a bill marked "congressional raises." Ok, anyway, the article goes on to say that a key lawmaker proposed a bill that partly would boost the Pell Grant scholarship. The bill would do this by eliminating a large amount of subsidies for private college loans. The rest of the bill would go toward early childhood education, increasing the number of poor children with access to pre-kindergarden.
Having recently become unemployed I have spent many hours (this is what I do instead of sleeping) thinking about how I am going to continue my education and still support my family. Of course the Pell Grant is not going to subsidise my income by any means, but it would help lessen the blow a little bit and maybe allow me to work part time instead of full time. My means of living is very modest, so a little bit goes a long way for me.
The article did not say what the timeline was for sitting on congress' proverbial desk though. I'm sure like everything else that would benefit the working class it will sit for quite a while.
July 16th
We did the poetry slam today. I have to say that I wasn't looking forward to participating. I worked for over an hour trying to figure out what I wanted to say and how to say it, even you-tubed some slam poets to refresh my memory. The first one I started was full of straight out anger. After texting with Megan I decided to scrap it and try some sarcastic humor. I had the same problem as last semester in Eng 110, what to write and how to say it. Ugh, I am an orator, not a writer. Stephanie and I struggled with my writing last semester, well she didn't struggle with it as much as I did. I'm glad the slam is over.
Going into today I couldn't wait to hear everyone's poems. It was not disappointing. Everyone did a great job. Some were thought provoking, others funny, some were just entertaining.
Even though I'm finished with my 1000 pages, I'm still reading. Nothing much else to do, well, except go back to knitting. I picked up a new book tonight at Kroger by Kathy Reichs called Devil Bones. Apparently the television series Bones was inspired by one of her books. Guess I will see how this one goes. After this, maybe some Nicholas Sparks. I like to vary my reading.
Going into today I couldn't wait to hear everyone's poems. It was not disappointing. Everyone did a great job. Some were thought provoking, others funny, some were just entertaining.
Even though I'm finished with my 1000 pages, I'm still reading. Nothing much else to do, well, except go back to knitting. I picked up a new book tonight at Kroger by Kathy Reichs called Devil Bones. Apparently the television series Bones was inspired by one of her books. Guess I will see how this one goes. After this, maybe some Nicholas Sparks. I like to vary my reading.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
7-9-09 Non-Textual
So, if I say Don McLean I'm sure you immediately think of American Pie. Not me, I think of the song Vincent. I would venture to guess it is on my top 5 list of favorite songs. It doesn't matter where I am if I hear it come on the radio, I have to stop and close my eyes. The song wasn't very popular in the United States, being overshadowed by American Pie, which was released on the same album in 1971. In this country Don was considered a one hit wonder, even though this song made it to 12 on the Billboard Charts. The lyrics are:
Starry starry night, paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer’s day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills, sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills, in colors on the snowy linen land
Now I understand what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for you sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen they did not know how, perhaps they’ll listen now
Starry starry night, flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand
For they could not love you, but still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight, on that starry starry night
You took your life as lovers often do,
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
Starry, starry night, portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls with eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.
Like the stranger that you’ve met, the ragged man in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose, lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for you sanity How you tried to set them free
They would not listen they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will.
The words of this song really speak to me. Maybe because of Vincent Van Gogh's tragic life, or maybe because I am a psych major and understand the tragedy of mental illness and depression, and people that are tortured by unseen demons. I understand the power of those demons and how they propel us to act in a way that is not necessarily natural to us.
My favorite line in the song is "Swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue." As I listen to the words and close my eyes, I see his famous painting "Starry Night." The swirls of blue, like smoke, traveling uphill towards a bright yellow orb.
When I searched for the lyrics online, I found don-mclean.com. The website says that Don wrote the song after reading a book about Van Gogh's life. It also states that a copy of the sheet music as well as a set of Van Gogh's paint brushes are buried in a time capsule beneath the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.
If you are not familar with this particular song, the website is www.don-mclean.com. On the site is a slide show of paintings set to this song.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
7-9-09 Class Reading
I just finished the coolest book. Oh yeah, I finished For My Daughters a few days ago and started The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer. This book would make a great book club book. I picked it up at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. When I finished For My Daughters thursday night, I decided to read something that was easy and would be considered my "norm". Oh, did I get more than I bargained for. It's only 435 pages, so it's not too long.
I knew I was in for a treat when I read in the Acknowledgments that, and I quote, "As I've always maintained, every novel is a book of lies trying to masquerade as a book of truth." After that I was so pumped to read the book, that I skimmed the rest of the acknowledgments. Good thing, I hate to really know what a book is about and where it is going before it gets there.
This book blends some truths and fiction so perfectly, I wondered until the end what was real and what wasn't. Fortunately, in the Authors Note at the end he clears up the fiction part. I won't go into detail here, let me just say that on the back of the book when the Boston Herald says "You won't be able to put it down", it's not a lie.
Like all of the books I like there is a closed denouement. It is written in third person and set partially in Florida the rest in Cleveland Ohio. Calvin Harper is clearly the protagonist, while Ellis is the antagonist. There are a couple of twists near the end that I didn't see coming at all.
I feel like because I was so into it that maybe I rushed through it. I just couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what else was going to happen next. It is not a detective novel, but does feature a Federal Agent. If anyone is interested in reading it, I will be happy to donate it to the first person who asks me about it. I enjoy passing good books along.
I knew I was in for a treat when I read in the Acknowledgments that, and I quote, "As I've always maintained, every novel is a book of lies trying to masquerade as a book of truth." After that I was so pumped to read the book, that I skimmed the rest of the acknowledgments. Good thing, I hate to really know what a book is about and where it is going before it gets there.
This book blends some truths and fiction so perfectly, I wondered until the end what was real and what wasn't. Fortunately, in the Authors Note at the end he clears up the fiction part. I won't go into detail here, let me just say that on the back of the book when the Boston Herald says "You won't be able to put it down", it's not a lie.
Like all of the books I like there is a closed denouement. It is written in third person and set partially in Florida the rest in Cleveland Ohio. Calvin Harper is clearly the protagonist, while Ellis is the antagonist. There are a couple of twists near the end that I didn't see coming at all.
I feel like because I was so into it that maybe I rushed through it. I just couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what else was going to happen next. It is not a detective novel, but does feature a Federal Agent. If anyone is interested in reading it, I will be happy to donate it to the first person who asks me about it. I enjoy passing good books along.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
7-2-09 Star Wars Blog
I remember seeing Star Wars in 1977 with my family at the Beverly theater in Peoria. I was almost 8 years old. At the time it was "cutting edge" technology. I'm not sure that anyone used music to heighten a scene and create so much drama as in this movie. The musical score won awards, as well as George Lucas, the director. The special effects were different than any movie produced so far.
The movie came out at a time in history where were were just fresh out of the Vietnam War, our government was turmoil and we were in the middle of the Cold War. We needed a villain to hate and a good guy that deserved to wear white. Luke Skywalker was a pure and unblemished character; both naive and "other worldly". Then enter in Darth Vader. He was the quintessential bad guy; ruthless and self serving. He fell from grace like Adam did in the Garden of Eden, and used his powers to further the evil desires of the empire. He was easy to hate, all dressed in black, and like the North Vietnamese and the Russians, which most of America didn't see, he too didn't have a face.
I think we needed someone to hate and Darth Vader fit the bill perfectly. He represented abuse of government power and the fall from good to evil. Luke Skywalker on the other hand was the perfect hero. He was not self-centered and represented everything that was good.
The part in the movie where Obie One and Luke rode into the town on the hovercraft was reminescent of an old western movie. They might as well tied their horse up outside the saloon and swaggered in with their hands on their guns. Even though the faces and bodies were not what we are used to seeing in a western, the general idea of the scene was the same, down to the fight over the alien not liking the way Luke looked. The music even sounded faintly like ragtime.
I love Hans Solo. Oh such a bad boy personality. Even at 8, I remember being attracted to him (not like adult attraction). He was cocky and good looking. Without Hans, Luke would never have taken the risks he did. Hans supported him in bringing a little "edge" to the table. He always had Luke's back, for instance in the destruction of the Death Star. He flew in helped defer Darth from killing Luke. Oh it didn't surprise me that Leah would fall for Hans. Of course he was like forbidden fruit to her. She was was a princess after all.
The only symbol I can think of from the movie is the light sabers being like phalus'. I could be projecting there, nothing unusual about that. It just seems that the way the men weild them is so much like a pissing contest. They are even different lengths and colors. They use them throughout the film to fight each other, similar to men in a bar use the talk of their's to feel superior to each other. I'm going to stop there, because I made my point, and maybe that point is totally off base.
I truly love this film, and everything it represents. In fact I own the dvd of the parody, Space Balls. It was nice to get to watch it again and really disect it here in my blog.
The movie came out at a time in history where were were just fresh out of the Vietnam War, our government was turmoil and we were in the middle of the Cold War. We needed a villain to hate and a good guy that deserved to wear white. Luke Skywalker was a pure and unblemished character; both naive and "other worldly". Then enter in Darth Vader. He was the quintessential bad guy; ruthless and self serving. He fell from grace like Adam did in the Garden of Eden, and used his powers to further the evil desires of the empire. He was easy to hate, all dressed in black, and like the North Vietnamese and the Russians, which most of America didn't see, he too didn't have a face.
I think we needed someone to hate and Darth Vader fit the bill perfectly. He represented abuse of government power and the fall from good to evil. Luke Skywalker on the other hand was the perfect hero. He was not self-centered and represented everything that was good.
The part in the movie where Obie One and Luke rode into the town on the hovercraft was reminescent of an old western movie. They might as well tied their horse up outside the saloon and swaggered in with their hands on their guns. Even though the faces and bodies were not what we are used to seeing in a western, the general idea of the scene was the same, down to the fight over the alien not liking the way Luke looked. The music even sounded faintly like ragtime.
I love Hans Solo. Oh such a bad boy personality. Even at 8, I remember being attracted to him (not like adult attraction). He was cocky and good looking. Without Hans, Luke would never have taken the risks he did. Hans supported him in bringing a little "edge" to the table. He always had Luke's back, for instance in the destruction of the Death Star. He flew in helped defer Darth from killing Luke. Oh it didn't surprise me that Leah would fall for Hans. Of course he was like forbidden fruit to her. She was was a princess after all.
The only symbol I can think of from the movie is the light sabers being like phalus'. I could be projecting there, nothing unusual about that. It just seems that the way the men weild them is so much like a pissing contest. They are even different lengths and colors. They use them throughout the film to fight each other, similar to men in a bar use the talk of their's to feel superior to each other. I'm going to stop there, because I made my point, and maybe that point is totally off base.
I truly love this film, and everything it represents. In fact I own the dvd of the parody, Space Balls. It was nice to get to watch it again and really disect it here in my blog.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
7-2-09 Inside Class Reading
I finished the book, Run by Ann Patchett. It was a good book, very easy read. On the back, the Chicago Tribune is quoted as saying "Patchett's finest work...Run is dazzling from the start." I don't necessarily agree with that statement. It is good, but not a book that you can't put down. If I had to choose between The Secret Life of Bees and Run, I would choose The Secret Life of Bees. The characters were better defined, and the story didn't take place over a long period of time.
I am on to a book by Barbara Delinski, called For My Daughters. I'm only about 50 pages into it, and so far it is good. The background on the 3 daughters is just being set. By reading the back of the book it looks to be good. Guess I will see.
I enjoyed writing the short story last Thursday. I felt like the bubble technique helped put my thoughts in some kind of order. Ususally when I sit down to write I revise a few times to make sure I have said everything I want to say and how I want to say it. I didn't like that we didn't have time for revisions. Ugh, it was like getting dressed in the dark. I hope I didn't walk out of the house with two different shoes on.
I am on to a book by Barbara Delinski, called For My Daughters. I'm only about 50 pages into it, and so far it is good. The background on the 3 daughters is just being set. By reading the back of the book it looks to be good. Guess I will see.
I enjoyed writing the short story last Thursday. I felt like the bubble technique helped put my thoughts in some kind of order. Ususally when I sit down to write I revise a few times to make sure I have said everything I want to say and how I want to say it. I didn't like that we didn't have time for revisions. Ugh, it was like getting dressed in the dark. I hope I didn't walk out of the house with two different shoes on.
7-2-09 Outside Class Experience
At 9:49am on Sunday June 28th, I was woken up by my Mom texting and calling me. She wanted to let me know that Kep's Place in Washington was burning to the ground. Why do I care you might ask? My parents bought the building for Kep's in 2002. They gutted and remodeled the inside, my step father doing most of the work himself. The building originally was built as a racket ball facility, so in the basement were 4 racket ball courts, complete with flooring. My parents (along with many trips to Dr Delgado the chiropractor) took up the floor in 2 of the courts and refinished it. That floor became the dance floor, wainscotting and the top of the bar.
My contribution to the remodeling was nominal compared to theirs, but on the weekends you could find me there sanding and varnishing right along with them. We joked that that business was similar to the Field of Dreams movie. All of us would walk around repeating "If you build it, they will come."
My step father passed away suddenly on January 28, 2007. At the time we not only had the bar, but also a water distribution company in the basement of Kep's. He had been in bottleing water and left about 11:30 to take a quick nap before a meeting with the local liquor commission. He never made it to the meeting. My Mom who was in California with her terminally ill brother called and my son and I headed to the house. It was not me who found him, thank God.
Anyway, the reason I told the story about my step father is because not only did he spend so very much of his time in the remodel process, you could find him walking around Kep's at any time of the day looking around, or visiting with customers and that is the last place anyone saw him alive.
My mom sold it in January of 2008 and then bought a bar in Metamora. She said one of the reasons she needed to sell it was because it was too difficult to walk in there and not see him.
It is very bittersweet for me to hear that it is gone, burnt to the ground. The memories I have are both good and bad, like any you would have of a place that consumed 6 years of your life. As soon as I got the call I woke my daughter up and she drove over. She took pictures and sent them to me. It's devistating, the damage, nothing left but some of the outside walls. I heard that some of the employees are there rallying around the building. We did the same thing the day we found my step father, except now there is no bar to sit at and wonder how we were going to continue.
My contribution to the remodeling was nominal compared to theirs, but on the weekends you could find me there sanding and varnishing right along with them. We joked that that business was similar to the Field of Dreams movie. All of us would walk around repeating "If you build it, they will come."
My step father passed away suddenly on January 28, 2007. At the time we not only had the bar, but also a water distribution company in the basement of Kep's. He had been in bottleing water and left about 11:30 to take a quick nap before a meeting with the local liquor commission. He never made it to the meeting. My Mom who was in California with her terminally ill brother called and my son and I headed to the house. It was not me who found him, thank God.
Anyway, the reason I told the story about my step father is because not only did he spend so very much of his time in the remodel process, you could find him walking around Kep's at any time of the day looking around, or visiting with customers and that is the last place anyone saw him alive.
My mom sold it in January of 2008 and then bought a bar in Metamora. She said one of the reasons she needed to sell it was because it was too difficult to walk in there and not see him.
It is very bittersweet for me to hear that it is gone, burnt to the ground. The memories I have are both good and bad, like any you would have of a place that consumed 6 years of your life. As soon as I got the call I woke my daughter up and she drove over. She took pictures and sent them to me. It's devistating, the damage, nothing left but some of the outside walls. I heard that some of the employees are there rallying around the building. We did the same thing the day we found my step father, except now there is no bar to sit at and wonder how we were going to continue.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6/25/09 Outside Class
A couple of weeks ago knowing I was going to be home all weekend, I went to Wal-Mart in search of a series to watch. I ended up picking up the Showtime series, Tudors season 1. It's set in the 1500's and is about the reign of Henry VIII. It's pretty interesting. I recognized a few names, more than I would have thought since I've been out of school for so long. Besides Henry there's Ann Boleyn, Ann's sister, Mary and Catherine.
Peter O'Toole plays the pope. I think he is the biggest name in the cast. The sets are lavish and the costumes are so beautiful. I watched the credits after I finished the first season and it looks like it's filmed in Canada. Kudos to them, I'm completely hooked. It's definitely R rated, sometimes borderline what I would term soft porn.
I'm sure it's not historically accurate, but I don't really care. The characters are beautiful and sexy, unlike the real people were in the 1500's. Henry's teeth are white and his nails even though bitten are clean. Ann Boleyn is beautiful and has enviable cleavage.
I sent my daughter back to Wal-Mart late last week to pick up season 2, in anticipation of another weekend at home. It didn't quite work out that way, so I have only gotten through 6 episodes.
Season 3 started in April on Showtime, so I hope it's out soon on dvd.
The only problem I had with season 1 was that after watching 10 straight hours I thought I would go to bed and read a bit. Odd Thomas ended up with an English accent in my head. Poor Odd, I had to put the book away and go to sleep. It was such an injustice. I just couldn't stand listening to him any other way than what he had been.
Peter O'Toole plays the pope. I think he is the biggest name in the cast. The sets are lavish and the costumes are so beautiful. I watched the credits after I finished the first season and it looks like it's filmed in Canada. Kudos to them, I'm completely hooked. It's definitely R rated, sometimes borderline what I would term soft porn.
I'm sure it's not historically accurate, but I don't really care. The characters are beautiful and sexy, unlike the real people were in the 1500's. Henry's teeth are white and his nails even though bitten are clean. Ann Boleyn is beautiful and has enviable cleavage.
I sent my daughter back to Wal-Mart late last week to pick up season 2, in anticipation of another weekend at home. It didn't quite work out that way, so I have only gotten through 6 episodes.
Season 3 started in April on Showtime, so I hope it's out soon on dvd.
The only problem I had with season 1 was that after watching 10 straight hours I thought I would go to bed and read a bit. Odd Thomas ended up with an English accent in my head. Poor Odd, I had to put the book away and go to sleep. It was such an injustice. I just couldn't stand listening to him any other way than what he had been.
Monday, June 22, 2009
6-25-09 For Class Reading
If you read my last post, I explained that I was just getting into The Secret Life of Bees. Well, last night I finished it. Saturday I took my book to the bar to read while I was waiting on my friends to show. It gave me 3 hours of opportunity to read. We installed a new point of sale system and I had some programming issues with it, so I had to go in and make the changes. Not to say that I haven't brought a book, or my knitting for that matter to the bar other times. Ok, this is my exciting life.
Back to the book. Wow, it was great. I said in my last blog that it centers around a 14 year old girl, Lily, in South Carolina in 1964. Deep inside me the 14 year old girl of my youth cried out right along with Lily. Like her I know what it is like to be abandon emotionally by your father, and feel like an island, alone in shark infested waters. The other women in the book are amazing.
They are strong women grounded in faith and family. I do not know first hand what it was like in South Carolina in the 1960's, the racial discrimination, women not having a place outside of the home. I know that even in 2009 racism exists and is colorless, and discrimination happens to everyone in one form or another.
The story tracks Lily's journey from her hometown in search of information about her late mother. She and her nanny find themselves in Tiburon, South Carolina living with 3 African-American women. Again, I don't want to ruin the story, in case you want to read it. I will just say that I completely fell in love with each of these women and would have been proud to have known them. I laughed and cried along with each of them.
The new book I am about to start is Run by Ann Patchett. I will keep you up to date on my progress.
Back to the book. Wow, it was great. I said in my last blog that it centers around a 14 year old girl, Lily, in South Carolina in 1964. Deep inside me the 14 year old girl of my youth cried out right along with Lily. Like her I know what it is like to be abandon emotionally by your father, and feel like an island, alone in shark infested waters. The other women in the book are amazing.
They are strong women grounded in faith and family. I do not know first hand what it was like in South Carolina in the 1960's, the racial discrimination, women not having a place outside of the home. I know that even in 2009 racism exists and is colorless, and discrimination happens to everyone in one form or another.
The story tracks Lily's journey from her hometown in search of information about her late mother. She and her nanny find themselves in Tiburon, South Carolina living with 3 African-American women. Again, I don't want to ruin the story, in case you want to read it. I will just say that I completely fell in love with each of these women and would have been proud to have known them. I laughed and cried along with each of them.
The new book I am about to start is Run by Ann Patchett. I will keep you up to date on my progress.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
6-18-09 Inside Class Reading
I finished my Odd Thomas book on Monday, and started on "The Secret Life of Bees" for one of the reading novels. I remember when the movie came out and seeing the advertisements on the TV, thinking that I wanted to see it. Imagine my surprise at Barnes and Noble when the book was sitting on a table in the middle of the aisle. I quickly snatched it up and added it to the growing stack in my arms.
I'm only about 75 pages into it, but already am "hooked". Of course I don't want to re-tell the story and ruin your chance to discover the characters for yourself. Right now the main character, Lily is fourteen years old. Because I don't know much about the book, I don't know if she will age at all. It's set in 1964 in South Carolina, right about the time of Brown vs The Board of Education. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Since I read the mostly in bed, I have a feeling I will be spending a considerable amount of time there this weekend. Bring on the bees.
This week I have thoroughly enjoyed the short stories. Some, like Nipple Jesus and Catskin were a little on the bizarre side. The Peed Onk story was very long. I became emotionally connected to the characters and because I am a mother really associated with them. One of my best girlfriends' son has Hodgkins Lymphoma, so having lived through that with her, this story struck very close to home. Fortunately he is in remission right now.
The Catskin story was interesting because children often dress up and pretend to be something or someone else. It seemed to me that maybe that is what Small was doing. I love the reference about house cats. That made me laugh out loud.
I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the stories for next Tuesday.
I'm only about 75 pages into it, but already am "hooked". Of course I don't want to re-tell the story and ruin your chance to discover the characters for yourself. Right now the main character, Lily is fourteen years old. Because I don't know much about the book, I don't know if she will age at all. It's set in 1964 in South Carolina, right about the time of Brown vs The Board of Education. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Since I read the mostly in bed, I have a feeling I will be spending a considerable amount of time there this weekend. Bring on the bees.
This week I have thoroughly enjoyed the short stories. Some, like Nipple Jesus and Catskin were a little on the bizarre side. The Peed Onk story was very long. I became emotionally connected to the characters and because I am a mother really associated with them. One of my best girlfriends' son has Hodgkins Lymphoma, so having lived through that with her, this story struck very close to home. Fortunately he is in remission right now.
The Catskin story was interesting because children often dress up and pretend to be something or someone else. It seemed to me that maybe that is what Small was doing. I love the reference about house cats. That made me laugh out loud.
I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the stories for next Tuesday.
6-18-09 Outside of Class Experience
I have contemplated for a week what I was going to post for my out of class experiences. I was going to write about the movie "He's Just Not That Into You", but felt like I would save that for next week instead of posting 2 for this week.
Tuesday after I left class I headed to Peoria. If you don't know, I manage a bar/restaurant until the end of this month (then I'm unemployed, YUCK). I was driving down University headed to GFS, preoccupied with the mini book club discussions, when the light turned red at Lake and University. I stopped at the light along with everybody else. Just as the light turned green, a mini van in the other lane opened their side door. Then the suv 3 cars ahead opened their driver's door and a woman got out. The woman in the car behind the suv got out too. The mini van quickly closed the door and proceeded to drive forward. Because there was another car in front of me and cars approaching behind us, I was stuck watching this scene unfold. The woman from the suv appeared to be in her 50's with early graying hair. The woman from the car was younger, appearing to be somewhere in her early 30's. They met between the vehicles and began talking. Of course from my perspective I couldn't hear what they were saying, but you could clearly see that they were assessing the damage to both vehicles. By the time they were done, the car in front of me had pulled into the other lane and it was now clear for me to pull over and pass the ladies too. They obviously ascertained that there was no damage to either vehicle, because neither was on the phone calling the police to report it. As I was passing them, the ladies hugged. If I had been in mid conversation, I would have been struck speachless.
Never in my life have I ever been witness to such an event. The idea that as a result of this slight fender bender, two women connected with such compassion to hug at the conclusion. Probably because I had been thinking of my short story "Last Requests" before this, my thoughts returned to it and specifically of Maggie.
One of the questions I posed to each group was if they thought she was egotistical and thought she was better than everyone else. Most people in the class disagreed with me and said they thought she showed great compassion to make sure the last meals were everything that the inmates wanted. After seeing the compassion of these strangers who were standing in the middle of University near lunch time hugging I began to really see Maggie differently.
My original thoughts of her were that she was a contradiction. On one had she explained to Jean, her neighbor, that the inmates deserved whatever they wanted and it was her job or obligation to see that they got it. The other was that she would participate in making fun of the inmates spelling and judge them on what their meal choices were.
In the end she wasn't prepared for seeing the Califlower Cheese returned untouched. Before that she would prepare the meals and then leave for the night. When she returned in the morning the plates would be scraped clean, leaving the impression that the inmate ate it. It shows a lot of respect from the wardens for her that they never told her who ate the food and who didn't.
Like Maggie and the inmates, the ladies from the accident didn't know each other, but found a way to connect through unlikely means. Each of these women displayed unsolicited compassion towards each other. I can only hope that every time I am offered a chance to make an impact like them that I see it for what it is, and not miss the opportunity to touch someone else's life.
Tuesday after I left class I headed to Peoria. If you don't know, I manage a bar/restaurant until the end of this month (then I'm unemployed, YUCK). I was driving down University headed to GFS, preoccupied with the mini book club discussions, when the light turned red at Lake and University. I stopped at the light along with everybody else. Just as the light turned green, a mini van in the other lane opened their side door. Then the suv 3 cars ahead opened their driver's door and a woman got out. The woman in the car behind the suv got out too. The mini van quickly closed the door and proceeded to drive forward. Because there was another car in front of me and cars approaching behind us, I was stuck watching this scene unfold. The woman from the suv appeared to be in her 50's with early graying hair. The woman from the car was younger, appearing to be somewhere in her early 30's. They met between the vehicles and began talking. Of course from my perspective I couldn't hear what they were saying, but you could clearly see that they were assessing the damage to both vehicles. By the time they were done, the car in front of me had pulled into the other lane and it was now clear for me to pull over and pass the ladies too. They obviously ascertained that there was no damage to either vehicle, because neither was on the phone calling the police to report it. As I was passing them, the ladies hugged. If I had been in mid conversation, I would have been struck speachless.
Never in my life have I ever been witness to such an event. The idea that as a result of this slight fender bender, two women connected with such compassion to hug at the conclusion. Probably because I had been thinking of my short story "Last Requests" before this, my thoughts returned to it and specifically of Maggie.
One of the questions I posed to each group was if they thought she was egotistical and thought she was better than everyone else. Most people in the class disagreed with me and said they thought she showed great compassion to make sure the last meals were everything that the inmates wanted. After seeing the compassion of these strangers who were standing in the middle of University near lunch time hugging I began to really see Maggie differently.
My original thoughts of her were that she was a contradiction. On one had she explained to Jean, her neighbor, that the inmates deserved whatever they wanted and it was her job or obligation to see that they got it. The other was that she would participate in making fun of the inmates spelling and judge them on what their meal choices were.
In the end she wasn't prepared for seeing the Califlower Cheese returned untouched. Before that she would prepare the meals and then leave for the night. When she returned in the morning the plates would be scraped clean, leaving the impression that the inmate ate it. It shows a lot of respect from the wardens for her that they never told her who ate the food and who didn't.
Like Maggie and the inmates, the ladies from the accident didn't know each other, but found a way to connect through unlikely means. Each of these women displayed unsolicited compassion towards each other. I can only hope that every time I am offered a chance to make an impact like them that I see it for what it is, and not miss the opportunity to touch someone else's life.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
6-11-09 Outside Class Reading
I love to read, and often have a book with me. It's one of the reasons I have to carry such a large purse. Well, that and I like to have a bottle of water at all times too.
I am currently reading a book in a series by Dean Koontz called "Odd Hours". It started with a book called "Odd Thomas". I believe this book is the 4th in the series. The name of the main character is Odd Thomas. It is written as a first person narrative. Odd is a simple kind of guy but multi-faceted. He has several psychic abilities, but nothing that would be thought of as outrageous. The conundrums he finds himself in are bizarre. It reads quickly and at the end leaves you with a pleasant feeling, but missing Odd and his quirky sense of humor.
In all of the books Odd, when explaining who he is and about his life aspirations, calls himself a "simple fry cook". He says that because of all of the weird situations he finds himself in that he should have a job as a tire salesman or the retail shoe business. He approaches everything optimistically and non judgmental.
The other characters help give Odd depth. Dean Koontz surrounds Odd with colorful people who allow Odd to use his psychic talents and once again become the hero of the story.
I won't ruin the story in case you want a great and easy read. The imagery and sensory words Odd uses really put you in his head. It's easy to see and feel his world thorough his words, like a movie playing inside your brain.
Unlike a lot of Dean Koontz's books, he doesn't use complicated story lines or totally out of this world characters. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the previous books in this series, and hope Odd never dies, but just fades away like all legendary characters.
I am currently reading a book in a series by Dean Koontz called "Odd Hours". It started with a book called "Odd Thomas". I believe this book is the 4th in the series. The name of the main character is Odd Thomas. It is written as a first person narrative. Odd is a simple kind of guy but multi-faceted. He has several psychic abilities, but nothing that would be thought of as outrageous. The conundrums he finds himself in are bizarre. It reads quickly and at the end leaves you with a pleasant feeling, but missing Odd and his quirky sense of humor.
In all of the books Odd, when explaining who he is and about his life aspirations, calls himself a "simple fry cook". He says that because of all of the weird situations he finds himself in that he should have a job as a tire salesman or the retail shoe business. He approaches everything optimistically and non judgmental.
The other characters help give Odd depth. Dean Koontz surrounds Odd with colorful people who allow Odd to use his psychic talents and once again become the hero of the story.
I won't ruin the story in case you want a great and easy read. The imagery and sensory words Odd uses really put you in his head. It's easy to see and feel his world thorough his words, like a movie playing inside your brain.
Unlike a lot of Dean Koontz's books, he doesn't use complicated story lines or totally out of this world characters. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the previous books in this series, and hope Odd never dies, but just fades away like all legendary characters.
6-11-09 Class Reading
Reading pages 7-25 in the book and taking notes was rather time consuming. I ended up with around 6 pages of notes, and I write rather small (sloppy, but small). I started reading the book the day it arrived in the mail. Of course I couldn't help myself from opening it and familiarizing myself with the style in which it is laid out. Having been distracted by my grandson, I put the book down and didn't pick it up again until it was time to put it in my backpack for class.
I liked reading the introduction and learning about all of the different terms used to describe various short stories and their many parts.
Normally when I read a story I read it for entertainment purposes and do not analyze it. If a symbol jumps off the page, or I make a connection that is not readily apparent, I am pleased with myself. Seeing the different terms used to describe each part of a story gave me some new words to add to my dialogue.
The introduction is filled with terms describing different forms of short stories and what the individual parts of them are called. In the "Telling of the Tale" the author talks about the classifications of stories. He uses different stories as examples of the various types. After a brief history of those story types, he delves right into "The Short Story Genre".
The author relates that the origin of the short story is unknown. He does however credit the novella as being "one important influence". He follows the short story from "The Decameron" to more modern pieces of writing.
Throughout the introduction he uses the short story "Reunion" as an example of the various elements. I thought maybe he would include this story in the book, but I didn't find it. That being said, because he talked so much about it, I almost felt like I didn't need to read it. He described and analyzed it to death.
While reading this section, I was able to think back to what I normally read and apply the terms to different books by a wide variety of authors. He talks about there not being a new idea for plots, and that most stories are just retold over and over with different settings and characters. That also made me stop and reflect. I guess that's why I read a lot of the same types of books and mainly stick with the same authors.
I need to have a closed ending or closed denouement. What a great word, I wish I could remember without having to really think about it how to pronounce it. If I mistakenly pick up a story that has an open ending, I generally don't read that author again.
I can't wait to begin reading the short stories for the mini book club on Tuesday. I am not however looking forward to making notes and analyzing them.
I liked reading the introduction and learning about all of the different terms used to describe various short stories and their many parts.
Normally when I read a story I read it for entertainment purposes and do not analyze it. If a symbol jumps off the page, or I make a connection that is not readily apparent, I am pleased with myself. Seeing the different terms used to describe each part of a story gave me some new words to add to my dialogue.
The introduction is filled with terms describing different forms of short stories and what the individual parts of them are called. In the "Telling of the Tale" the author talks about the classifications of stories. He uses different stories as examples of the various types. After a brief history of those story types, he delves right into "The Short Story Genre".
The author relates that the origin of the short story is unknown. He does however credit the novella as being "one important influence". He follows the short story from "The Decameron" to more modern pieces of writing.
Throughout the introduction he uses the short story "Reunion" as an example of the various elements. I thought maybe he would include this story in the book, but I didn't find it. That being said, because he talked so much about it, I almost felt like I didn't need to read it. He described and analyzed it to death.
While reading this section, I was able to think back to what I normally read and apply the terms to different books by a wide variety of authors. He talks about there not being a new idea for plots, and that most stories are just retold over and over with different settings and characters. That also made me stop and reflect. I guess that's why I read a lot of the same types of books and mainly stick with the same authors.
I need to have a closed ending or closed denouement. What a great word, I wish I could remember without having to really think about it how to pronounce it. If I mistakenly pick up a story that has an open ending, I generally don't read that author again.
I can't wait to begin reading the short stories for the mini book club on Tuesday. I am not however looking forward to making notes and analyzing them.
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